A bigger challenge: Vietnam’s schedule for AFC Asian Cup 2019

Vietnamese fans eagerly await good games from their men’s football team at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 5 to February 1.

Vietnam will compete at the AFC Asian Cup 2018 as the Southeast Asian champions. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

For this tournament, coach Park Hang-seo has rung in a few changes in the 23-man squad, leaving out some AFF Cup heroes including forward Nguyen Anh Duc and midfielder Nguyen Van Quyet. He has added younger faces in their stead.

The Vietnamese team’s best Asian Cup outing was in 2007, when they reached the quarterfinals.

For the first time, the Asian Cup tournament will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format that was used from 2004 to 2015.

Under the new format, six groups of four teams each will contest the first stage, followed by a knockout stage of 16 teams.

Australia are the defending champions, having won the previous competition in 2015. The winner of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup will earn the right to participate in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Vietnam are placed in group D with Iran, Iraq and Yemen and will begin their Asian Cup quest with a game against Iraq, followed by Iran and Yemen in the group stage.

Vietnam’s schedule and fixtures at AFC Asian Cup 2019 group stage:

All of Vietnam’s games will be broadcast live on VTV and Fox Sports Channel.

VnExpress International will present live updates and scores of all Vietnam’s matches.